On October 5, a mob of over 3000 Hindu right-wing organizations went on a rally calling for the slaughter of Muslims in India.
The rally took place in Congress-ruled Chattisgarh and when the supposedly “peaceful” protest turned violent, the police in Chattisgarh chased the violent mob with sticks while they fled. There was a mob of around 3,000 people, all part of a “peaceful” protest organized by Hindu organizations such as Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) who defied the curfew imposed by Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district administration on Tuesday, 5 October. They reportedly marched with swords, lathis, and other weapons in the district headquarters town of Kawardha causing extensive damage to property owned by Muslims. They also attacked Muslim businesses and residential areas.
In the rally, the Hindu right-wing shockingly demanded the slaughter of Muslims in India chanting “Jab mule kate jainge, Ram Ram chilenge” meaning, “When we cut the Muslims, we will shout Ram Ram.” The Chattisgarh police chased them with sticks
What Happened on Sunday?
Mahant Kashyap, who lives in the Lohara Naka Chowk area of Kawardha town was quoted by Indian Express as saying, “It started as a fight between two groups on Sunday. A local history-sheeter named Durgesh Dewangan got into an altercation with some Muslim men, who beat him up.”
He said that a few hours later, “Some men pulled down a green flag and green-colored decorations that had been strung alongside the roads. In retaliation, the other group pulled down a saffron flag and trampled on it. Some miscreants also threw stones at the nearby Vindhyavaasini temple,” reports say.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg and Collector Ramesh Sharma visited the spot on Monday.
A local person explained that they demanded stern action against the men responsible for the vandalism and for beating up Dewangan. However, he says, it was Dewangan who was put behind bars.
Curfew was imposed in Chhattisgarh’s Kawardha after the right-wing rally turned violent
Slogans of Jai Shri Ram were raised, and homes and vehicles owned by Muslims were attacked.
Not all Hope is lost
Hyenas run when men in uniform take strict action
Kudos @bhupeshbaghelhttps://t.co/NHVC359zBK— ?✌️? (@renishdr) October 7, 2021
Amid slogans of Jai Shri Ram, homes and vehicles owned by Muslims were attacked, and the police were pelted with stones, leading to more than a dozen civilians and police personnel being injured in the violence. Police lathi-charged the mob to bring the situation under control by Tuesday evening. The curfew was extended to Wednesday.
The so-called peaceful protest was flagged off by leaders from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including former MLA Abhishek Singh, who is the son of former chief minister Raman Singh.
Congress Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and the police in Chattisgarh were praised for taking swift action and arresting the culprits who went on a rampage, but the police managed to stop it proactively before it escalated further.